Get to Know Your Monarchs: Richie Staton Q&A

During fall camp, ODUSports.com featured one Monarch a day in a "Get to Know Your Monarchs" segment. That will continue during the season, as we get to know freshman linebacker, Richie Staton.

Richie Staton/LB/Hampton, Va.

Q. What are you studying here at ODU? Right now I’m undecided but I think I’m going to study either sport medicine or criminology.

Q. What was the most memorable part of the game Saturday night against Albany? The feeling that the defense came out and played as strong as we did. We went against the criticism and now we just have to keep doing that every game.

Q. What was one of your favorite things to do growing up in Hampton? I liked being able to go out and play football with my friends. I liked going out and playing sports. The 757 is big on sports.

Q. If you could play for an NFL team who would you want to play for? I’d say either the Ravens or the Raiders, the Ravens because their linebackers are all amazing.

Q. What are some of your favorite community service projects that you’ve done? In high school my coach took us to clean a community pool. We fixed some of the flowerbeds and helped build a kiddy pool.

Q. What was the best part of your high school football days? I liked getting to play with a lot of the friends I grew up with. It was never a dull practice. It’s awesome, my best friend TJ Ricks is playing here at ODU with me.

Q. What do you think about the move to Conference USA? It’s great. It’s pretty cool for new guys like me to get to come in and play bigger teams. It’s cool for Virginia to get anther school to play other big schools just like Virginia Tech and UVA.

Q. Who on the team do you think would be most likely to eat dessert before dinner? I’d have to say D.J. Morrell. He’s the biggest and he eats the most.

Q. What is another hobby you have besides football? I think either Basketball or playing on my phone, that is a hobby, right? I’m a huge Instagram fan.

Q. What were the most memorable moments of playing for ODU these past few games? Best so far has been the first home game with the white out. I loved getting to run onto the field through the smoke into the sold-out stadium. It was pretty cool. I think the fireworks during the second home game were awesome, they made us look better! It’s not every day that you get to run on the field to fireworks.

Q. How are you personally preparing for the game Saturday? I’m watching a lot of film with coach everyday. I’m getting the techniques of what they do down so I can prepare for anything they’re going to throw at us.

Q. What is one of your most embarrassing moments either in practice or in a game? My freshman year in high school I played outside linebacker. I made this big play and after I made it I was trying to get hyped and I tripped in the middle of the field in front of the entire crowd.

Q. What is one thing that you have always wanted to learn how to do? I’ve always wanted to learn how to be tall! Can you do that? I feel like I can learn how to do anything else but the hardest thing is being tall!

Q. What do you think is the most valuable skill a linebacker should possess? I’d have to say footwork. You can learn how to read your keys but having footwork is a skill that not many possess. I’d say my footwork is Ok but it still needs work.

Q. What are you plans after you graduate? Will you continue to be involved in football? I want to be involved in sports in general, not just football, I like sports period. I would be happy to do anything that gets me involved in sports.

Q. To date, what has been one of your favorite football games to play in and why? I think the game against ECU. That was my first college game and it was a really big game because ECU is a good team. Getting to play in that environment of a bigger showcase was an amazing experience.

Q. If you could trade places with any other sports star, who would it be and why? It would probably be Lebron James. Everybody loves him, he just won a ring and he’s the best player in the NBA.

Q. What got you interested in football? I moved to Hampton from Long Island when I was nine. It was right at the beginning of football season so my dad signed me up, I made some great friends on the team and just stuck with it.

Q. What advice would you give to yourself as a young football player? I’d say work hard everyday; stay focused and pay attention to details.

Q. Did you ever play any other sports growing up? I played soccer and wrestled when I was really young. I’ve always played basketball. I also played baseball my senior year of high school. The baseball players took me in and I was the fastest on the team so I was the base runner. It was fun.

Q. Which one would you prefer: being inducted into the Hall of Fame or having a Super Bowl win? I’d have to say being inducted into the Hall of Fame. I say that because I think you’re remembered more for that than a Super Bowl win.

Q. How do your teammates push you to become a better person and a better player? They make sure I’m not slacking. Nate Barnes stays on top of me during weight room workouts. On the field they hold me to a higher standard because I’m a new guy, I have to learn faster and there is a lot that I have to catch up on. My teammates make sure I’m always keeping focus and paying attention.

Q. What was the most appealing thing about ODU during the recruiting process? I’d say the switch to C-USA as far as football goes. On campus I really liked the rec center and quad area on campus. A lot of students get together there to play Frisbee or throw a football. I like to go out there and just have fun.

Q. How is it joining a fairly new football program and being able to help shape it for the players now and the players to come? It’s cool that we’re moving up so fast. I like being one of the players who get to set a base for more kids and better kids who will join the program one day.

Q. What is your favorite part of game day? I think my favorite is the Monarch Walk and seeing all the kid’s faces that come to watch us play, along with all the fans that come support us every game. It’s nice to know we have people behind us.

Q. Any pre-game rituals you’d like to share with us? I pretty much just sit around and make jokes; my best jokes come out during pre-game.

Q. Who on the team would be elected as more energetic and enthusiastic than Big Blue?

I’d have to say Jude Brenya. He has the most energy on the team by far. If you look at him on the sidelines during the game he’s the one jumping up and down and getting hyped the whole game. He never stops, and he’s just a freshman.

Q. What is one thing you’d like to say to all the 12th Monarchs out there?

We truly appreciate you! We work hard every day just to come out and make sure we’re working as hard as they are when they’re cheering for us!